Packaging for the transport of sterile objects or objects to be sterilised

Abstract

A packaging having a box, and a cover sheet made of a material that is not permeable to decontamination gas. The cover sheet has a window closed by a piece of selectively impervious material. A flexible piece of a material that is not permeable to a decontamination gas is fixed to the cover sheet by at least one of its edges and has a free part which is able to move between a diffusion position and a non-diffusion position.

1. A packaging intended to be used for transporting sterile objects or objects that are to be sterilized, comprising a box intended to house the objects; a cover sheet fixed to the box in such a way as to seal the box imperviously, said cover sheet being made of a material that is not permeable to a decontamination gas and which comprises a window closed by a piece of selectively impervious material, and having a flexible piece of a material that is not permeable to a decontamination gas, said flexible piece being fixed to the cover sheet by at least one of its edges and comprising a free part being able to move between a diffusion position, allowing unrestricted diffusion of sterilization gas into the box through the window, and a non-diffusion position to prevent at least a portion of the decontamination gas from entering the box through the window. 
   
   
     2. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the selectively impervious material is chosen from paper, materials based on natural fibers, materials based on synthetic fibers, materials based on filaments of high density polyethylene, or and materials based on polymer bound by heat and pressure. 
   
   
     3. The packaging as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the selectively impervious material is a material based on filaments of high density polyethylene bound by heat and pressure. 
   
   
     4. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the box has a rim extending beyond the cover sheet, and the flexible piece is fixed to the exterior face of the cover sheet. 
   
   
     5. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible piece is fixed to an interior face of the cover sheet. 
   
   
     6. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible piece is fixed to the cover sheet facing the window. 
   
   
     7. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible piece has a shape similar to the shape of the window, the area of the flexible piece being greater than that of the window so that in the non-diffusion position, the flexible piece covers the window with overlap around the entire periphery of the window. 
   
   
     8. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cover sheet has several windows each closed by a piece of selectively impervious material. 
   
   
     9. The packaging as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the flexible piece is fixed to the cover sheet facing the several windows so that in the non-diffusion position, the flexible piece covers the several windows with overlap. 
   
   
     10. The packaging as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein several flexible pieces are fixed to the cover sheet, with each flexible piece facing a corresponding one of the several windows so that in the non-diffusion position, each flexible piece covers, with an overlap its corresponding windows. 
   
   
     11. The packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the packaging comprises, inside the box, at least one layer capable of one of limiting the passage of a decontamination gas and absorbing decontamination gas. 
   
   
     12. The packaging as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the said layer has shape and size such that it can be placed along the cover sheet and that, in this position, the layer extends between the cover sheet and the objects contained in the packaging. 
   
   
     13. The packaging as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said layer is arranged over the objects placed inside the box prior to the cover sheet being sealed. 
   
   
     14. A method of manufacturing the packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: forming the cover sheet made of a material that is not permeable to a decontamination gas; forming the window in the cover sheet; placing the piece of a selectively impervious material in said window in such a way as to close the window using the material; fixing the flexible piece of a material that is not permeable to decontamination gas, said flexible piece of the material that is not permeable to decontamination gas being fixed to the cover sheet by at least one of its edges and comprising a free part positioned facing the window, placing the objects that are to be packaged in a the box; and fixing said cover sheet over the box in such a way as to seal the box imperviously. 
   
   
     15. The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the flexible piece is fixed to an exterior face of the cover sheet. 
   
   
     16. The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the flexible piece is fixed to an interior face of the cover sheet. 
   
   
     17. A use of the packaging as claimed in  claim 1  in a method for decontaminating the packaging using a decontamination gas. 
   
   
     18. A use of the packaging as claimed in  claim 1  for transporting syringe components, which are intended to be filled after transport with one of an active product and a medicinal product. 
   
   
     19. A sterilization and decontamination method using a packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: placing the packaging in a diffusion position during the sterilization process; and placing the packaging in a non-diffusion position during the decontamination process.